Grouchy Golf Blog

Monday, January 03, 2005 at 2:30 PM

Xmas Present

Like most years, Santa doesn't really give me what I want. But at least I always have enough coal to last me through the winter.

This year, I decided to buy myself a new driver for Xmas. So I cruise over to one of my favorite online retailers, 3balls Golf to have a look. This place specializes in golf closeouts, both new and slightly used (demo clubs). As a result, their inventory is constantly changing. So if you don't see anything interesting, check back in a couple of weeks. I've already bought several items from them and have been extremely pleased with the prices, accuracy of the item descriptions, and customer service.

Recently, they bought a ton of demo TaylorMade R580 XD and R540 XD drivers. Their selling price ranges from $109.50 to $149.50 depending on the model, condition, and shaft. If you recall, just a year ago these drivers were going for over $300 with the stock shaft.

But you can get an even better deal from 3balls.com. If you don't mind purchasing on eBay, you can find the majority of 3balls.com inventory there. So I went on eBay and won a 9.5° 540XD Driver with a Graphite Design YS-6 stiff shaft from 3balls.com for $100! Shipping was an additional $10. It was described as "fine" but it's virtually new.

Unfortunately, I haven't noticed a damn difference between this driver and my "obsolete" Ping TiSi. I don't think that I've gained a single yard nor am I hitting more fairways. Funny, I always thought it had to be the club and not me. Well, at least I'll have another club to blame the next time I play bad. Oh yeah, Happy Friggin' New Year!

Labels: ebay, Equipment

 Musey said...

Happy New Year!! Glad you are posting again. I found your site and a few others. Most of y'all with the exception of The Sand Trap took the holidays off.

I was about to naw off a toe or something.  

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 Golf Grouch said...

Thanks for the comments Musey. The Sand Trap guys do the best job, IMHO. I love golf, but I just don't understand how they can write about it daily. Amazingly, they do and they are insightful too.

Hit 'em straight.  

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 A WALK IN THE PARK said...

Hey maverick-> Funny you should mention drivers...I'm having fits with mine. Terrible...its like I forgot how to swing it. Its a Big Bertha steelhead plus III. I'm gonna switch to a titleist, but my coach is pushing your taylor made on me...lemme know how yours works out.
Jay - A walk in the park.  

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 Golf Grouch said...

Hey Jay, thanks again for the comments. I like the TM driver, it's just not the dramatic difference from my Ping driver that I was expecting. However, it should be a significant difference in your case with your old Callaway. And what the heck, the TM drivers are so cheap now you really can't go wrong...Let me know how it works out.  

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 Eric Stone said...

Golf Graphite Shafts
Graphite Shafts are considered the ultimate tee weapon to enable a good game of golf. However, there are points to be kept in mind while selecting the right graphite shafts, as they are all different. They are: Torque: It is the measure of lateral twisting a graphite shaft experiences when placed under playing conditions. For the player, the lower the torque value, the better for the player. The graphite shaft torque value ranges anywhere from 1.8 to 7.2. Weight: This refers to the shaft's weight in grams. For that power and swing, shafts should not be too light or too heavy. It should be custom made for the optimum weight. Flex: It is the measurement of the amount a shaft will bend under stress. The more flexible the shaft the easier it would be for the player to swing the ball. Kick Point: It is the point in the shaft where the majority of shaft flex is experienced. Kick point affects the flight of the ball more than anything else. So, while buying graphite shafts, the above pointers are absolutely necessary to knock the ball best!  

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